Improvement in stopping mechanisms for knitting-machines



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Patented Aug, 25,137 7 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

RICHARD OOOKE AND FLORUS J. COOKE, 'OF NEWIIARTFORD, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STOPPING MECHANISMS FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,374, dated August25, 1874;;app1icationfiled J anuary 23, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, RICHARD OooKE and i F.J. OOOKE, of New Hartford, Oneida county,

in the State of New York, have invented cer-.

tain Improvements relating to Stop-Motions for Knitting-Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification:

v The object of the invention is to more rap idly and efficiently arrestthe work and prevent the detachment of the web from the needies in caseof the breakage of the yarn, or of j the exhaustion of the yarn from thebobbin.

We providea delicate feeler, which, whileit oflers no materialresistance to the movement of the yarn, the moment the yarn ceases.machine stops, and a belt-shipper or other efficient means is operatedat the same moment,

so that the entire machine is stopped soon after. We provide alsoconvenient means for setting the mechanism again in operation when theyarnhas been again supplied. Two or 'more yarns are sometimes fed insimultaneously at different points. The usual practice, so far as ourknowledge extends, is to thus supply four at once, atfour equidistantpoints on the circle. We provide connections whereby the motion of themachine may be arrested from each and all of the yarn-feeding points bya single belt-shipper. We have succeeded, as the result of muchreflection and many patientexperiments, in attaining a high degree ofperfection in the several combinations and details. Our improvementsmake it practicable to throw the presser out of action before theknitting has proceeded more than halfway around, even when the machineis running at its highest speed.

The following is a description of what we consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1; isoan elevation of a portion, partly in section, in conditionfor working. Fig. 2 is a view at right an gles,s1howing the novel partsas seen from, thecenter of the knitting-ma chine, the needle-cylinderbeing removed. Fig. 3 shows one of the small parts detached, and Fig. 4is a'plan' view of the several connections which lead from theseveralstop-motions to a single belt-shipper.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever theyoccur.

A is the fixed frame-work of the machine. B is the needle-cylinder, astout revolving ring which carries the needles b. The yarn is suppliedto the needles with the proper amount of slack by the ordinary means,and the stitches are formed and liberated in the ordinary manner. M isthe presser-wheel, which, while the yarn is supplied, performs thefunction of liberating the stitches by pressing against the elastic endsof the hooks, and allowing the stitches to slip freely up. There may bethe .usual' stop-motion provided with a feeler, to

detect .the absence of a needle, or of any material part of a needle,and thus arrest the knitting and avoid mischief from such cause. Ourinvention has no relation to such stop," but is in nowise incompatiblewith its presence. It can work in combination with such other stop, andit will be usually desirable to so use it. We have not deemed itnecessary to represent such other stop. We provide a delicate lever, 0,having a loop or hook, C embracing the yarn at oneend, and formed into asprin g-coil, G at its opposite end. This coil 0 embraces loosely adelicate horizontal shaft, D, which is provided with a projection,D,'adapted to receive the abutting end of the spring-coil G The otherend of the shaft D is formed with a short arm, D which acts under thedelicate hooked pawl E, which, while the machine is running properly,keeps hold of the arm G fixed on the upright shaft G, provided with amilled head or operatingbutton, G mounted so as to be convenient ofaccess above the presser M.

The button G is milled around its edge, or otherwise adapted to beconveniently grasped by the thumb and finger of the attendant. Wheneverthe device, after having stopped the knitting-machine, is to be againadjusted for working, the button G is grasped and turned by theattendant. This movement turns the arm G and this acting on the pin Jturns the eccentric-wheel J back to its original The shaft G is mountedin the axial line of I the .stud L, which supports the. presser M, andaround which it turns freely. The stud 'Lland the connected framing L L,which supports 1 the entire delicate mechanism, are fixed on the slideL, which is supported in a long bearing in the fixed frame-work A, asshown, and is urged forward toward therevolving ring B by a spring, H,which may be. made sufficiently powerful to exert considerable force. Onthe back end of the slide L is a shoulder, L, which, whenever the slideL and itsv connections are. moved backward by any force, receives astout spring-pawl, I, and is retained. V I

J is a horizontal wheel, faced on its 'periph-i cry with leather orrubber, j, and mountedec; centrically on a stud, l, which is fast on theframingL. A spring, K, preferably concealed within or under the wheel J,exerts a constant but gentle force, tending to turn the eccentricwheelJ, and bring its soft frictional surfacej into contact with therevolving ring B. When. this motion is permitted, its friction againstthe ring B is sufficient to induce its' being turned rapidly into aposition where its full side will be toward the ring B, and,consequently, the studL and the entire slide L and, its connections willbe instantly moved back- "ward against the force of the spring H.

The eccentric-wheel J hasa pin, J on its;

upper surface, which, when the knitting-machine is working successfully,presses against the arm G and is retained thereby, so that theeccentric'J presents its lean side toward the revolving ring B, and istherefore out of contact therewith; but if, by any means, the horizontalshaft D shall be turned so as by its arm D to lift the hooked pawl E,then the arm Gr yields to the slight but constant pressure received fromthe spring K, through the pin J and turns, thereby liberating the wheelJ, which instantly turns into such' position that its frictional surfaceis acted upon bythe rapidly-revolvin g ring B, with the inevitableresult of instantly throwing the entire slideL,

with its attachments, including the presser M, away from the ring B, andthus the further action of the presser M against the needles b isinstantly arrested. The link Tleads from one part of the slide L, or itsattachments, to a suitable connection to operate the belt-shippers, sothat the entire machine soon stops,

. and the work is suspended, with the stitches still fast upon theneedles, until the attendant can restore the yarn and again put themachine in condition for operating. This turning.

the hooked'pawl E, we provide a tumblingbob, P, which is adjustable onthe shaft D bymeans ofthe pinching-screw 1). The bob 1? shouldbecarefully adjusted on the shaft D, so as to be in a nearly perpendicularposition when the knittingis progressing successfully.

When'the long slender lever 0 falls by the breaking of the yarn it givesa sufficient rota-' tion to the; shaft D .to throw the gravity of thebob P on the other side of the central line. In this position itsgravity aids the further; rotation of the shaft D, and insures that thehooked pawl E will be promptly lifted.

The yarn is supported at twopoints close tothe loop O, one in passingthrough the guide 0, attached to an arm, a, on the fixed framing A, andanother by the wire a ,which extends out horizontally from the arm a,and is bent down at its outer end, as shown. A slight strip ofindia-rubber, f, extends from the bentdown end of the wire a to the arm(1.

In its ordinary position the lever C, while the machine is working,presses gently upward against this rubber string, which thus serves as aspring. When the yarn fails to support the lever (J it falls the morerapidly in consequence of the slight impulse it receives from the springf. This spring may be of metal or other material, if preferred.

We have not deemed it necessary to represent the belt-shipper; but Q isthe slide, which may be understood as operating it. B, R", and R arelevers turning on their respective centers r, and operated,respectively, by the links T T T, and connecting them to three otherslides corresponding to the slide L, and supporting presserscorresponding to the presser M. When either of the yarns fails thecorresponding links T T T T move the slide .Q with the effect ofarresting theentire machine. As soon as practicable during the periodthat the motion of the machine is being arrested the respective presseris thrown out of action, so that the work shall not be therebydisengaged from the needles.

The wheel J may operate with some success without the rubber or othersoft periphery, j. It is only important that it shall take such a holdof the ring B that it will be turned thereby. The apparatus may beworked with some success without employing the wheel J, and by simplyapplying the spring K, or an equivalent spring, to the upright shaft G.In such case the arm G may be made of such length as to come directly incontact with the stout revolving ring B, and be operated thereby, soasto throw the slide L and its connections back by the force thusreceived. This action may be made more perfect by forming the end of thearm G in'a segment of a circle, or ellipse. In such case we would preferto face its outer edge with a coating of rubber.

There may be many modifications of some of the details. If, for example,it should be desired to lift the presser M, so as to carry it above theneedle, instead of pushing it horizontally away, the upper face of thewheel J,

orof the arm, G may carrj a cam, which may act on a slideproperlymounted, to be lifted by-the cam, and thus to throw the presser out ofwork whenever the lever G is dropped.-

Werclaimas ourinvention- 1;.- The feeler O, liberating-catch E, and the"spring K, combined, as shown, with a constantly-moving portion, B,"andwith an intermediate piece,'J, or its equivalent, so that, onthe-failure of the yarn-to support the feeler O, the moving part'B shallremove the presser M andprevent the further detaching of the stitches,as herein set forth. c

2; In. aknittingstop-motion substantially ofw=the characterdescribed,the shaft--D and tumblin g-bob P,:in combination with thefeeler (land liberating-oatchE, as herein specified.

3. The combination of the shaft D, provided with the stop D and thefeeler O 0 forming a loose jointbetween the two, and allowing theshaft'D. to turnfarther than the feeler C, asand'for the purposesspecified.

4.IThe spring f, in combination with the feeler C and its connections,serving to induce a morerapid movement of the feeler when the yarn failsto support it.

5. The button G or its equivalent, on the shaft G, in combination withthe presser-M, means for throwing it out of contact with the needles,and with the arm G and its connections, for again setting-the parts incondition for working;'a's herein-specified;

6. The several connections T T T &c., and levers R B &c., communicatingmotion from the several- :distinct yarn-supplying mechanisms to a singlebelt-shipper for arresting the entire machine, as herein specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 21st day ofJanuary, 1874, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' RIo ARn'oooK'n' F. J. oooK Witnesses:- 7

J. M. BUTLER, HENRY S. MILLER.

